Background

This signals the first entirely online election of the GPUS Steering Committee. The purpose ranked choice vote is to elect the Treasurer for the GPUS.

Candidate Information

Jeff Turner
Green Party of Hawai'i
jeff@gp.org

Aloha Greens

It is with not a little trepidation that I accept the nomination for
Treasurer of the Green Party of the United States.

I have been an active Green since Hawaii obtained ballot status in 1992. I
have been reading the nc and dx lists for nearly a decade. I am the sole
surviving charter member of the GPUS Finance Committee, which was formed in
2003. I have been increasingly concerned about our slide into a financial
deficit condition. I have been even more concerned about our less than
adequate financial systems and controls and reporting. We can and must do
much better.

This role and responsibility has been on my mind for five or six years.
When Jake Schneider gave notice that he would not serve as Treasurer again
in early 2005 or 2006, I was asked by several folks to run for Treasurer. I
declined as I was much too busy at the time with my rapidly growing small
business services and consulting practice. I promised Jody that if she
would take a turn as Treasurer, then I would take a turn. As it worked out,
I got much busier and Jody reluctantly/graciously agreed to run for a second
term. Jody has given us fair notice (a whole year in advance) that she
would absolutely not stand for Treasurer for a third term. She has
certainly done more than her share of the work in this regard, and deserves
more thanks that she has received for seeing us through this extremely
difficult time!

I'm busier than ever now, and had hoped someone else would step forward this
year. We on Fincom have rattled the bushes and recruited far and wide for
another candidate, to no avail. I have the skills and ability to perform
both the Treasurer and the Accountants job, but not the time that Jody has
selflessly contributed in the last four years. To make matters worse, we
now are without an accountant. This is an appalling and untenable state of
affairs! It must end soon! We have discussed this dilemma on Fincom, and
several folks have promised to help me with the transition and some of the
tasks that Jody has been doing. It appears there is no other choice in the
short run. Therefore I have accepted that I must step in to help the party
at this time. However, before the end of this year, there will be changes
that have to be made for me to be able to keep this up.

I do admit to having some strong opinions about those changes that I feel
are necessary to right our financial affairs. I'll try to share those with
you in the coming weeks so you know what you are getting when you vote next
month. I know I won't be able to do everything well enough to satisfy
myself for the rest of 2010, but I can promise you that we will greet 2011
with a new look to our financial reporting that will provide accurate,
timely information in an understandable manner. 2010 will be a 'get by'
year taking second priority to making 2011 a 'get it right' year.

This transition will be rather difficult, as any change is, but it is doable
with the support and understanding of everyone. When we're done, the
position of Treasurer should be a much simpler role to fulfill, with a well
defined set of guidelines, such that anyone with a little financial instinct
will be able to step in and carry on with the system that has been set up.
That is my goal for the next half year. That's the best I can offer you.

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